Product Description

The 1950 release of the Fender Telecaster may have changed the world, but Leo Fender and his partner, George Fullerton, were always looking for ways to improve. By day, they worked long hours in the shop, refining their designs, and at night, they'd haunt juke joints, dance halls and blues clubs to find out what guitarists wanted from their electric guitars -- from the guitarists themselves. Released in 1954, the Stratocaster introduced several new features to Fender guitars -- including a contoured body for more comfortable playing, a double-cutaway to make the higher frets easier to reach, a third pickup between the bridge and the neck to make even more tones available, and a tremolo bar to make notes easier than ever to bend. The large, 8-screw pickguard allowed almost all of the Stratocaster's electronic components to be mounted on one metal plate, making them especially easy to service.

The versatility and playability of the "Strat," combined with its sparkling sound, made it one of the most iconic guitars -- maybe the most iconic guitar -- in the history of music. Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton used them to take guitar artistry to heights no one had imagined before. After seeing what Hendrix could do with them, Ritchie Blackmore bought a Strat and used it to hammer out the immortal riff from "Smoke on the Water." Stevie Ray Vaughn, Pete Townshend, Ritchie Valens... the list of artists who have made history with a Strat could go on forever. Jeff Beck said that with other guitars "[I] just wind up sounding like someone else. With the Strat, I finally sound like me."

The Fender American Vintage '57 Stratocaster Sound

1957 was the height of Fender's acclaimed "maple neck" era, and is known as a benchmark year for the Strat -- three years after its release, minor upgrades from the already stellar original helped the Stratocaster really hit its stride. Over the decades, the revolutionary sound and feel of these iconic guitars matured into a vintage vibe so desirable that original '57 Strats now sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Fender has continued to make great advances with its instruments over the years, but there's nothing quite like the original.

The '57 Strat and the The American Vintage Series

Ronnie Wood has used a '57 Strat as one of his main onstage instruments for years--the allure of playing such a historic axe can be irresistible for serious guitarists. But not everyone makes as much money as the Rolling Stones, and the price tag for an original '57 Strat makes them unattainable for most. Even those who can afford to drop tens of thousands on a guitar will be hard pressed even to find a true original. But with the American Vintage series, Fender makes that historic feel attainable once again, replicating the original design with painstaking attention to the smallest details. They're made in America, just like the originals, fitted with vintage hardware, and available in the classic '57 colors. They could have just followed the original blueprints, but instead Fender collected the very best originals they could get their hands on, examined them from every angle, and crafted these reissue axes to match. It's one thing to conform to the original spec and look good on paper. It's quite another thing to play and sound just like the real deal.

"This is the Tone"

Bring the timeless tone and feel of the '57 Stratocaster to your music -- and on into the future -- with the American Vintage '57. You get all the features you want from a vintage instrument without anything close to the vintage price tag. All original specs are there, including the neck and headstock shape, the classic neck profile and "comfort contoured" alder body, hand-beveled pickup magnets, and much more.

The American Standard '57 Strat is not just designed to replicate the striking look of the original; the tone is spot-on as well. The electronics and hardware are a faithful replication, featuring Original '57/62 Stratocaster Pickups that were reverse engineered from prized vintage pickups to reproduce the famous sound, with beveled-edge Alnico 5 magnets and Formvar magnet wire to produce the warm lows and gleaming highs you'd expect from a classic axe. Also present are the famous single-piece maple neck and fingerboard, the retro 3-way pickup selector switch, Fender/Gotoh vintage tuning machines, and an original-style synchronized tremolo bridge. It even comes with a gorgeous retro tweed case.

A vintage model that came off the line yesterday may not have lived through the same history as an original '57 Strat, but it gives you the opportunity to make your own history. How will your story go?

Product Description

The American Vintage '57 Stratocaster re-creates one of Fender's most famous designs. All original specs are detailed including neck and headstock shapes, body radii and contours, 12th fret dot positioning, and hand-beveled pickup magnets.

Overall:
I bought this with the intention of doing my own relic job, once i opened the case and saw that surf green piece of eye candy , i choked.
Looks like ill have to buy a surf green mexican 50's model to relic.
It looks and plays perfect, the 57/62 pups stir the retro juices. The neck is like a babies behind ! Flawless paint and workmanship.
My kids are already fighting over who gets it when i croak!
This guitar will only improve with age!
Forget phase switches, active electronics, coil splitters, blah blah blah, this guitar is the real deal and stands on its own. Simplicity is bliss!

Style of Music: My music style range from , you have to live the blues to play the blues, to rock, to christian contemporary, to all out Devi Ev

Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?

"Like driving a sports car."

Sound:
One of the best sounding guitars that I have played.
Feature:
The standard wammy bar
Ease of Use:
After playing a Les Paul for 20 years, it was like being in a sports car.
Quality:
No complaints and no problems so far.
Value:
I think so. One hell of an Axe.
Manufacturer Support:
Haven't had too.
The Wow Factor:
Always very sexy.
Overall:
The only reason that would make me purchase another stat would be for the additon of "Texas Special" pick pus. Other than that, I'm very satisfied with my Fender 57 Strat.

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A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

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